Prisoner of Circumstances
by Thaanzer
Summary: Begins in the summer before Harry's third year. Remus receives a letter from Lily about secrets long since hidden, but cannot remain that way any longer. Not slash.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N:** Standard message of I don't own the characters, I just like to twist them around for my own humor purposes. Nor do I make any money off of it. _

_Second, this is the main piece that I am working on, but 'Full Moon Surrender' is the prequel that gives the backstory for this one. It is possible to read this without having read it, but it does make it easier to understand. Besides, it's fairly short. _

* * *

Remus groaned as he looked over his stacks of paper, already regretting his hasty acceptance of the Defense Against the Dark Arts position in the fall. True, he enjoyed teaching, but putting together an entire syllabus for all seven years with nothing to go off of was trying his patience. Dumbledore had contacted him a couple weeks ago asking if he would be interested in the position, but Remus knew of the ulterior motive- they wanted someone who knew Sirius Black's habits from school and provide inside information.

Now, there was a sore topic for the werewolf to think about. He and the Marauders had been inseparable through Hogwarts, and even afterwards. He couldn't understand what made Sirius betray Lily and James like that and turn on Peter. Even though there were witnesses to the slaughter on the street, Remus still couldn't accept it, especially after learning that they gave Sirius no trial.

But this wasn't the time or place. Figuring out a proper lesson plan came first, as big of a headache it was turning out to be. He slammed his head on the table- this was getting nowhere. Perhaps chocolate would help him get past this mental block he seemed to have acquired upon entering the plans for the 6th years. Even at the age of 33, he was still a sucker for chocolate. Yes, a nice mug of cocoa and a couple of Honeyduke's finest chocolates were just the ticket.

He sat in his old armchair and sipped at his drink, glancing at the muggle novel, "Lord of the Rings," that he was rereading for the umpteenth time. He had picked up his muggle mother's love of literature and greatly enjoyed their view of life and magic. He was in the middle of the Battle for Helm's Deep when something fell on top of his head.

"What in the world…?" he muttered in confusion, trying to figure out what had dropped on him. There on the floor was a time faded envelope dated 'October 13th, 1981', that made Remus furrow his eyebrows in confusion. Curious, he picked it up and gently removed the letter. He scanned to the bottom and held back a pained cry as he saw it was signed by 'Spitfire and Prongs.' He took a deep breath and began reading the letter that would change his life.

"_Dear Moony,_

_If you are reading this, then our worst fears have been realized and we've been killed, but Harry remains alive. My dear old friend, we have some startling news for you, as we are not there anymore to tell you in person. For the longest time we debated over what we should do after we found out, and even to the point of writing this letter, we have constantly gone back and forth about what is the best path. _

_Remus, my dear friend, cohort in muggle fiction, and worthy chess opponent, I never told you the truth of what happened that full moon you spent with me as Spitfire. Before I go on, please listen to me when I saw I don't, and have never blamed you for what happened. I will come back and haunt you if you do!_

_That night, after you transformed, you began to stalk closer and closer and I panicked. I became a wolf by sheer luck, but that wouldn't have meant anything if Moony thought I was a threat. Apparently my magic, unbeknownst to me, triggered a way to ensure my survival- it made Spitfire be in season, knowing that Moony wouldn't harm a potential mate. Moony was instantly affected and I myself was powerless to stop it. Believe me when I say you did not harm me that night in any way, shape or form._

_I know you have no memory of this, and if the reason we were writing hadn't occurred, we would have spared you the grief of knowing. Since we cannot be there for you, we pass on the secret we took to the grave. _

_Remus, you are not alone in this world as you may think. Your brilliant mind might already be putting the pieces of this puzzle together. Yes, Harry is indeed your son. I'm sure you're probably as shocked as I was when I found out I was pregnant and the date of when it happened. _

_Moony, my fellow partner in crime and honorary brother, while it might have been easier if Harry had been mine for his own sake, I loved him like my own the moment I saw his bright green eyes and sandy brown hair. He is the light in the darkness of our world and I don't regret how he came to be. Do you remember a time where I popped in unannounced like usual and proceeded to badger you about girlfriends and children? Knowing you and that photographic memory of yours, you are probably now making the connection. We were worried if there would be negative side effects. You told me that if the child did indeed inherit the virus, it wouldn't become active until their thirteenth year. But we don't know if there are other possible effects from the unusual coupling. We can only hope that everything works out. _

_After he was born, we gave him a potion that would cover his heritage for the time being, but we found out that the shift to wolf form (if he is indeed a werewolf) for the first time will flush the potion from his system. Because we don't know what the future holds, we left the ingredients for another heritage potion that would be otherwise unobtainable, in the main Potter vault (which we of course left to both you and Harry, knowing just how bias the wizarding world is against werewolves). We hope that it won't be necessary, but with the way the world is now, we don't want to risk putting either of you in jeopardy if there is no other choice._

_We have only sent Sirius the information as well, so please find Harry (if he's not already living with you two) and break the news to him, as we feel it would be easier coming from you, rather than a letter. _

_We wish you all the best and hope that for a change, your life takes a turn for the better._

_Your loving friends (and brother!)_

_ Spitfire and Prongs_

_PS. Next time you see Padfoot, give him a kick in the ass for being a douche bag about that bet he won with the Cannons!"_

His hands trembled as he finished reading the letter. He'd never known, and never would have, if they hadn't written this. The normal, calm and collected exterior crumbled as tears poured down his face, remembering the fear he'd felt when he discovered Lily was trapped. He remembered the look of terror on her face as his transformation began. But most of all, he remembered the agonizing despair he'd felt when he discovered the next morning, terrified to look around for the fear of finding a friend dead by his own doing.

But then, a new thought slowly creeping into his consciousness and remained, tugging at emotions he didn't know still existed.

He had a son.

* * *

_**A/N:** So, tell me if you liked it, if you didn't, or whatever! I do ever so enjoy seeing reviews on my work, so please take a moment and let me know :) _


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N**: Same disclaimer as before. _

* * *

The next morning found Remus fidgeting in the Headmaster's office, trying to appear patient as the other read the letter, but failing miserably. After a fitful sleep, he was finally able to wrap his head around the situation and realized action was necessary, and quickly.

Dumbledore finally finished reading and held out his hand to shake Remus' own. "Well, congratulations! It's a boy!" He chuckled, a twinkle in his eye. "But that aside, you're right. We do need to remove Harry from his relatives, not only for their safety around the next full moon, but for his own. Lily and James mentioned that they also sent a letter to Mr. Black about the events, which could prove disastrous if he were to somehow make the news public. For Harry's sake, I must ask you to move to the castle earlier than planned as it would be the safest place for you both at the present."

Remus quickly agreed, not seeing any reason why he shouldn't. "When do we go and retrieve Harry?" He wanted to know, trying to mentally figure out plans.

"Seeing as we don't know where Mr. Black currently located himself, I believe it would be best if I went and fetched him this afternoon. I must ask you to remain here, perhaps help the house elves prepare your chambers, seeing as the Dursley's are quite, ah, resistant to magical folk. Mindy!" He called and a young house elf appeared.

"What can Mindy do for Professor Featherbrains and his Wolfie?" Mindy squeaked.

"Would you please kindly help Professor Lupin fetch his luggage and prepare his quarters for the year? He will need one with a second bedroom as his son will be staying with him as well."

"Mindy is a good house elf and will help Professor Wolfie find a suitable living arrangement!"

"Thank you very much, Mindy. Now, I must be off!" Dumbledore said and took a hold of Fwakes as he disappeared in a flash.

Remus lost himself in thought over the fact that he would be seeing his son for the first time in twelve years in only a short time. He also realized he only had a week until Harry's birthday and wondered if the boy had prior arrangements yet.

A tug on his sleeve brought him back to reality. "Mindy is needing to show Professor Wolfie where he and his Little Master Pup will be staying."

He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts, "Oh, yes of course. Let's be off so that we have something resembling a house for when they arrive. Shall we return to my place to gather my things first?"

Mindy nodded and snapped her fingers, transporting them into Remus' living room. "All Professor Wolfie needs to do is put whatever he wants in this bag and it will instantly be transported to your new quarters."

"Thank you Mindy, this shouldn't take long at all." With that, he set about gathering his clothing, books, and other necessities, as well as his old, worn-down chair. Even with it being old and warn out, it was his comfort place after the moon.

The two then headed back to Hogwarts, where Mindy led him to a portrait of a forest with various animals running around and a stag came to the foreground. "Mischief Managed!" Mindy squeaked, the portrait opening to reveal the interior. The immediate room was a mid-sized living room with hunter green armchairs (as well as his own personal armchair) and mahogany accents. The carpet was a dark cream and the walls decorated with a forest motif. He felt an instant connection and hoped Harry would like it as well. He wandered about, finding a small kitchen, his bedroom, which was similar to the living room color palette, and saw a bathroom connected, complete with a spa-like tube. He knew that would be used often. He found Harry's room and hoped it was something he'd like. The room was fairly dark, but the hundreds of twinkling stars provided enough light for Remus to take in the dark blue furniture with cherry wood accents, and celestial patterns adorning the bed and walls.

He realized that he knew virtually nothing of Harry and hoped they would get along well. Thoughts drifted back to the news and how he should go about doing it. After running through several scenarios, he thought it would be best to first introduce himself as a friend of his parents, and his new DADA professor, giving both father and son a bit of time to get to know each other before the real news was revealed. He had no intentions of lying to Harry, but springing that kind of news immediately could be detrimental, especially the possibility of carrying the werewolf virus. The more he thought about it, the more he believed that breaking it up into steps would be beste. First he'd tell him why he was brought to Hogwarts for safety reasons and learn more about the boy. Then after having some time to learn about each other, he would go on to tell him he had a living father. The last was the trickiest part, and he still didn't know how to break that.

Before he knew it, Mindy reappeared, telling him that Dumbledore had returned and his presence was requested. However, before he left, he made sure to find a particular photo album and set it on the coffee table.

* * *

Harry Potter was not having a fun summer, well, scratch that, he was having an awful summer! Ever since Ron had attempted to call on the phone, which greatly upset Uncle Vernon, he was feeling the effects from that. While was wasn't being outright abused, his uncle was turning a blind eye to Dudley's increasingly violent behavior. At the moment, he sported a black eye, cracked rib, and various minor cuts and bruises. Nothing life threatening, but it certainly made his life miserable. He could only hope that Ron would invite him to the Burrow soon.

While he was washing the dishes from lunch (well, what Aunt Petunia called lunch), a knock came from the front door. He furrowed his brow- Dudley was off with his friends and Aunt Petunia hadn't mentioned expecting any company today. Curiously, he peered through a crack in the door, only to find Professor Dumbledore on the other side.

"Good afternoon Harry! Lovely day, is it not?" He said with a smile, which almost faltered as he took note of the black eye.

"Hello Professor, would you like to come in?" Harry asked, hoping he wouldn't though- he could just imagine the tongue lashing he would receive later. Unfortunately, luck didn't like Harry right then.

"Why thank you, my boy!" He stopped in and the two went to the living room to sit down. "Now, I'm sure you already figured out that this is not a social call, so I'll be frank. I need you to accompany me back to Hogwarts for the rest of the summer."

Harry blinked. He hadn't been expecting that. "Not that I mind in the least, but why?"

Dumbledore's smile tightened slightly, "There have been a couple of recent…developments that require you to be in a more …secure location. So I must ask you to collect your belongings so we can be off."

The boy shrugged and went upstairs to gather his few possessions back into his trunk. He tugged it down the stairs, only to find a visibly upset Aunt Petunia in the living room with the Headmaster. He paused by the door, wanting to know what they were talking about.

"So you're taking the boy then?"

"Yes, circumstances have been raised that lead us to believe Hogwarts will be a safer locale for Harry at the present time."

"Will he be returning next summer?"  
"I highly doubt it- he may indeed have a permanent home by the end of the year."

Harry blinked again in surprise- what was all this about?

"I believe it will be for the best. Vernon has been pressuring Dudley as of late to take an interest in boxing, and Harry has become an easy target."

It was at this moment that Harry opened the door and stepped in, trunk in tow.

"Ah, Harry, I see you are ready to go. Petunia, thank you for your hospitality, and I bid you good day. Now then, we must be off."

Dumbledore flicked his wand and Harry's trunk disappeared. The two then walked away from Privet Drive, presumably to the edge of the Apparition wards, where Dumbledore then placed a hand on Harry's shoulder and transported them back to his office.

"Now then, I'm sure you're anxious to know what's going on. While we wait for the other person necessary for this discussion, might I tempt you with a lemon drop?"

Harry accepted one to be polite, but privately thought that the elderly man wasn't quite right in the head. He glanced around the office, noting that Fawkes was in a relatively young state compared to the last time he'd seen him. Just then, the door opened to admit a tall young man with light brown hair and threadbare robes.

_**A/N:** Read/review please and thank you kindly! :)_


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N:** Disclaimer the same as before._

* * *

"Ah, there you are Remus. I trust you had enough time to situate yourself?" The headmaster asked.

"Yes, thank you. The rooms are wonderful," Remus replied, although distracted by the sight of Harry. He looked so much like James…but those eyes, Lily's eyes.

"Excellent! I'm glad to hear that. Now, Harry, this is Remus Lupin, your new Defense Professor."

Harry looked warily at the man, "You're not a fraud out to Oblivate me or have Voldemort in the back of your head, right?"

Remus chuckled, "I've heard you haven't had the best track record with your Defense Professors, but I do hope that I will exceed my competition. Although, that isn't really saying much," He winked at Harry. "We'll be focusing on dark creatures in your year."

"It will be nice to have someone who can actually teach this year," Harry smiled, already taking a liking to this man.

"Now then, I know you've been waiting patiently to hear why we brought you back here for the summer. Unfortunately, a few weeks ago there was a breakout from Azkaban, and I have no desire to alarm you, but we have reasons to believe he may have escaped to come after you.

The prisoner's name is Sirius Black and reported to be a support of Voldemort. We believe he may be after you to avenge the fall of his Master. Thus, we felt it would be safer to bring you here for security purposes," Dumbledore finished, a heavy sigh escaping his lips.

Harry was stunned- someone escaped from Azkaban to come after him? He didn't know what to think. But he did know that his hopes for a normal year were dashed again. Suddenly, a new thought crossed his mind. "Headmaster, will I be staying in Gryffindor Tower for the summer?" Although, he already had a feeling he knew the answer.

"Ah, no. I felt that the tower would be too risky at the moment with no other students around. Remus, here, has offered to let you stay with him…unless you'd be more comfortable with Madam Pomfrey or Mr. Filch."

Harry quickly shook his head, "I'm sure Professor Lupin's place will be fine!"

"Very well, I shall leave you two to get better acquainted and in the mean time, I'll ask Poppy to send over a couple mild healing potions for that blackeye."  
"Alright then, let's see if I can remember the way back to my chambers now," Remus laughed as he gestured for Harry to follow him out into the hall. "I just arrived here this morning so I'm still getting my bearings. The last time I was here, my main stomping ground was the Gryffindor Tower."

"You were in Gryffindor too?" His interest was perked.

"Indeed I was. Actually, I was in the same year as your parents," Remus smiled, recalling the first time they met.

"Really? Were you friends?" Harry asked, desperate to know anything about his parents.

"We were the very best. Lily was one of the only worthy chess opponents I ever played against and my longest library companion. James was like the brother I never had and we spent countless hours together. In fact, I knew you as a baby," he grinned mischievously. "You always gave James a hard time when it came time to change your nappy."

Harry flushed dark red at the mention of that, but stopped from saying anything as they came upon a portrait of a forest. A light brown wolf stepped forward, making Remus almost miss a beat before saying "Mischief Managed!" and the two stepped inside. Harry took a look around and got the feeling he'd be enjoying his stay here.

Remus motioned for him to sit down on the couch. "Would you like anything to eat? I haven't had a chance to grab lunch yet."

"Oh, um, yes Professor," Harry mumbled awkwardly, realizing just how famished he was.

"Please, call me Remus, or Moony. Professor makes me feel like I'm as old as Professor McGonagall," he chuckled, as he gave Harry a wink. "Mindy!" The house elf appeared.

"You called, Professor Wolfie?" Harry gave him a curious look.

"Ah, yes, would you be so kind as to bring us a plate of sandwiches and some pumpkin juice?"

"Yes, Professor Wolfie! Right away!"

"Professor Wolfie?" Harry asked, clearly bewildered.

"All in good time. Now, I have something here that might interest you," he mentioned as he pointed at the photo album sitting on the table.

Harry ran a nervous hand over the cover and slowly opened it, finding a picture of his dad giving Remus bunny ears….literally, as they posed.

"James always was a prankster. I remember when that photo was taken; I ended up with those bunny ears for the rest of the day before the spell wore off. But make no mistake; James spent the rest of the day hopping around like a kangaroo." Harry couldn't help but snicker at the thought.

Mindy popped back in and set down the food along with a couple vials. "Mistress Dragon is saying that the young Master Pup should use these now or else he will be visiting the hospital wing overnight."

Harry's eyes went wide and immediately gulped down the potions, not wanting to be prisoner to Dragon Pomfrey overnight if he could help it. He was beginning to think that Mindy was a bit insane with her titles. Even so, the potions were already easing the pain from his cracked rib.

He continued on to the next page, this one showed Remus trying to hide behind a stack of books to get away from the camera. Harry chuckled and flipped the page, this one showing a picture of his parents' wedding day.

"I remember that day," Remus said softly with a small smile. "It was a beautiful ceremony, well, aside from the part where James chased after…Sirius on their brooms. Sirius thought it was funny to charm a ball and chain around James' ankle. I dare say neither him nor Lily spoke to him for the rest of the day."

"Sir…er, I mean, Remus, can I ask a question?" Remus nodded in approval. "What happened? I mean, you make it sound like this Sirius Black guy was their friend. But my parents wouldn't have been involved with a person working for Voldemort, right?"

The werewolf grimaced and took a deep breath before launching into a long explanation, "James, Sirius, a boy named Peter, and myself were as close as friends come through Hogwarts. We were always there for each other through thick and thin. While some of the pranks bordered on cruel at times, I never knew Sirius to support the Dark Arts. In fact, he ran away from his home because they were avid supporters of the dark, and went to stay with James and his parents. When the attack happened on your parents, I was in disbelief. I was told that Sirius was the secret-keeper while your parents were in hiding. It didn't make any sense, but I saw no other possibilities to what happened. But, I do think something fishy occurred. Sirius was just as proud as James and myself the day you were born and he always loved watching after his godson when your parents needed to go somewhere."

Harry looked up, startled, "Godson?"

"Yes, Sirius is your godfather. Something doesn't add up in the events from years ago. Quite frankly, I hope I either find out what made Sirius turn dark, or find out what really happened. But, that said, you will need to be careful- if he has indeed escaped to come after you, we don't want to give him any help in the matter.

Sirius has an advantage that only a few people in the world know about, three of which are dead. He is an Animagus, which is a person who can change into an animal at will, and for him specifically, a large black dog with grey eyes. This may be how he escaped, seeing as no one knew to be on the lookout for a dog."

"So why don't you tell them that so they can watch out for a dog?"

Remus looked uncomfortable as he thought of a way to break this to Harry. "During our years here, the three stumbled upon a secret of mine and took it upon themselves to try and help. They became Animagi, illegally I might add, so they could be with me at those points. Harry, I-I'm a werewolf. A werewolf's bite is only harmful to humans, so in Animagus form, they spent the full moons by my side. However, we never told anyone about it. If I were to tell Dumbledore that I led three students into danger…" he trailed off, not knowing how to finish that sentence.

"But if I were to tell everyone about his secret form, I would have to reveal myself as a werewolf. You may not know, having been raised by your relatives, that the wizarding world can be very prejudiced against dark creatures. By outing myself like that, I-I would also put myself at risk to many groups that seek purification in the world," he finished, avoiding Harry's gaze.

Harry nodded and saw the point the man was trying to make, knowing quite well how quickly people could turn at the slightest thing. He ate as if he were on auto-pilot as he tried to digest all this information that was being thrown his way. There certainly was a lot of utter nonsense that went on in the wizarding world.

Remus needed a distraction, and fast. "What would you say to some time on the pitch? I've heard you've inherited James' talent for flying."

Harry's eyes went wide. Private time on the pitch?! "Yes! Can we go now??"

The older man chuckled, "Certainly. Go grab your broom, it should be in your room, and we'll be off." The boy didn't hesitate as he ran to the room Remus pointed out as his. Remus sighed in relief; the boy was just too inquisitive for his own good, like his father, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could put off the topic. Although, logically he knew it needed to be done soon if Harry tested positive for the virus. Tomorrow he planned to take Harry to the hospital wing under the ruse of ensuring the potions did the trick and then get Poppy to test the blood. The results would influence what he'd do next.

* * *

Harry ran into his new room…and stopped dead when he looked inside. It was amazing with the night sky and the stars and moon shining down on him. It was a welcomed change from the gaudy flashiness of the Gryffindor Tower or his run down room at the Dursleys. His things had already been unpacked for him and he saw that his Nimbus 2000 in the corner. He wanted to stay and investigate his room, put knew he'd have plenty of time to do that later and grabbed his broom.

"Ready then?" Harry nodded. "Okay, let's head out."

"Er, Remus, aren't you going to fly too?" Noticing his lack of broom.

"Well of course! I may have nothing on James, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy going out once in awhile. I'll just grab one of the school brooms on the way out." He stopped to pick one up from the broom closet near the entrance hall. It was a pleasant day with the sun shining and a nice breeze. Harry pulled out the snitch he'd grabbed from the closet and let it go. For awhile, he flew around, chasing after it, catching it and then releasing it to start it all over again.

But, after awhile this seemed to pale and Harry started flying around doing stunt tricks, much to Remus' dismay. At one point Harry flipped himself so that he was upside down with his legs crossed over the broom and his arms dangling below. Remus didn't know if his heart was about to stop or if he'd have more grey hairs than ever by the end of the summer.

"Alright, Daredevil, time to pack it up. I'd like to leave BEFORE you need to be carried off to the hospital wing."

Harry had the decency to look guilty as he landed. They headed inside seeing as it was already almost dinnertime. Since Remus' strides were so long, he about had to run to keep up to the pace set by the man. When they came to the portrait, Remus' breathe hitched as a large black dog came to the foreground. A soft 'Mischief Managed' could barely be heard.

"Was that Sirius Black?" Harry asked, noticing the pained expression on Remus' face.

"That was Padfoot, yes," he said softly.

"What actually happened that sent him to Azkaban?" he demanded to know, realizing that no one else would probably tell him anything.

Remus gestured for him to sit down and called Mindy to bring up dinner before beginning, "When you were born, a prophecy was made about you and Voldemort. To protect you, your parents went into hiding using the Fidelius Charm. Basically, it makes a location undetectable unless the secret-keeper reveals the location to someone. They used Sirius as the secret-keeper and not long after is when the attack happened. After that it was witnessed that Sirius blew up a street of muggles and Wormtail, leaving nothing but a finger of Peter left. That's when the Aurors caught up and arrested him."

Harry didn't look convinced, "Couldn't he have been forced to do these things? I remember overhearing Ron's father talk about a spell that controls other people. Would they have asked that during his trial?"

Remus was thunderstruck and about fell out of his chair- there was never a trial for his friend. If he had been placed under the Imperius Curse, it wouldn't have been found out. Did something else happen? He felt a tug at his robe.

"Remus, hey, you okay? You weren't responding."

"Yes, I'm alright. But you made me realize that Sirius was never given a trial. If something had happened…For the sake of my friend, I need to tell Dumbledore immediately. Excuse me, I'll be right back. Go ahead and start eating though."

Not a moment later he was gone, leaving Harry alone. Shrugging, he dove into the food Mindy brought after grabbing his copy of Quidditch Through the Ages. Before he knew it, Remus returned, looking a bit more content.

"The Headmaster is going to look into it, although he still says we must exercise caution."

"Great! I mean, if it turns out that they got it all wrong, maybe then I can have a real family," Harry said softly, a sad smile tugging at his lips, almost afraid that if he wished too much, he'd wake up and it'd all be a dream.

Remus shifted awkwardly, unsure if now would be the best time to get it over with and tell him. He realized that the longer he put it off, the harder it would become. "Harry, I need to tell you something…"

* * *

_**A/N:** I have a couple more chapters already written and shall soon be posted. After that, the updates will slow down as I write them. Cheers!_


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N:** Disclaimer same as before.

* * *

_

"Harry, I have something I need to tell you. Although… I'm not sure how to go about handling it." He shifted his weight back and forth visibly, nervous beyond any other situation he'd ever felt.

Harry looked up at him, confused. Did something else happen when he went to talk to the Headmaster?

The werewolf took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, although this only seemed to frighten Harry more. "Yesterday night I received a letter dated 'October 13, 1981' from Lily and James. When I opened it, I found a shock about something I never knew happened. That letter told me about a family member that had been hidden for his own protection. What I'm trying to say Harry, is that well, umm…I-I'm your f-father."

Harry's jaw dropped in disbelief at what he just heard. "Umm…what? How is that possible?"

Remus hung his head, averting his gaze, "I'm afraid I can't answer that…I…I have no memory of the incident," he mumbled, quickly deciding that he couldn't bear to tell Harry that truth right now.

"Then how do you know that it's true?" He asked, cocking his head to the side.

"I trust what they told me, but if you'd like, we can ask the Mistress Dragon to confirm it. I was going to bring you there tomorrow anyhow to make sure those potions fixed everything."

"Oh…umm, well, okay," Harry said lamely. "Did the letter say anything else?"

"Erm, well, they mentioned that they gave you a heritage changing potion so that you would look like James."

"Oh…" It crossed Harry's mind that if Remus was his real father, then something had been done to change his appearance. "So who else knows about this?"

"At the moment, you, myself, Dumbledore, and err…one other. Lily sent this information to me and umm…well, Sirius." Remus looked at the clock and noted the time, giving him a good excuse to escape from the awkwardness of questions for the time being. "Why don't you head on off to bed? We can talk more in the morning after you've had some time to digest all this information."

Harry looked like he was going to protest, but finally conceded and headed towards the bedroom. As fast as his mind was racing, it was no match for the waves of exhaustion quickly swept through him. Moments later, he was fast asleep.

* * *

The next morning, Harry found himself rudely awoken by a pillow transfigured into a slobbering mongrel. "EW!!! What's with the slobbering alarm clock?!" Harry griped, clearly not amused at Remus' choice of method.

Remus grinned, "Well you weren't waking up from me calling you….just be glad I didn't do what I used to use on James and Sirius."

Harry crossed his arms and tried to glare, "Oh?"

"You would have been woken by a bucket of ice water being splashed on you."

"Okay, fine, I'll concede that this monstrosity is better than that….but only if you promise to show me how to do it so I can try it on Ron."

"Done. In the meantime, how about some breakfast before tangling with the Dragon?"

Harry nodded and followed him out to the kitchen after putting on his robes. Mindy popped in with a tray of waffles, eggs, hash browns, and juice. The boy dug in with a healthy appetite and Remus followed, although, in a more dignified manner. Only a scrap of burnt potato was the all the evidence of the massacre that took place in the kitchen.

"Alright Pup, you ready to go see what Poppy can make of the situation?"

Harry blinked at the given title, but decided he rather liked the term coming from Remus- it made him feel special. "It's not gonna hurt, is it?" he asked in a small voice, eyes wide.

Remus laughed and ruffled his pup's hair, "No, of course not. The sooner we go, the sooner we can escape that place."

Harry couldn't help but grin- seemed he wasn't the only one who disliked the hospital wing. The two made it there quickly enough, finding Poppy waiting for them.

"Why hello there Harry, Remus. Albus told me to expect you today. I want to make sure that Harry is recovered from the minor injuries he came with, alright?" Harry nodded. "Excellent. Just a simple diagnostic spell first."

She ran her wand over his body, noting that the bruises Albus mentioned were gone. "So far, other than being underweight as usual, I don't see anything wrong with you. But I would like to have you take a nutrient potion for a couple weeks to help boost your weight." She eyed Remus thoughtfully. "That goes for you too, Mr. Lupin! Don't think for one second that just because you're a professor now that I wouldn't restrict your mangy hide to the hospital wing again like I did in your fifth year if I don't see a marked weight gain in the next few weeks!"

Remus felt heat radiating from his cheeks at the Dragon properly chastising him. He quickly recovered and tried to take the attention off his weight. "Right then, Madam Dr-Pomfrey, I do have a request. The other day I received a time-delayed letter from Lily and James and they revealed a possibility that Harry's parentage may not be whom everyone thought. Would you be able to run a test and see if it's true?"

Poppy blinked; whatever she was expecting him to ask, it certainly wasn't that. "I…uh…well, I suppose I can. Harry, I'll need to take a bit of your blood, alright? It'll feel like just a prick," The healer told him and pointed her want at his finger and felt the skin tear open just enough for Poppy to take a small vial of blood. Once she had enough, she healed his finger and then told them she'd be back shortly with the results.

Remus fidgeted awkwardly as the pair waited for the Dragon to return with the results. "Harry, I know it wouldn't be as good as Lily and James still being alive, but I want you to know that whatever the results come back saying, that I'll be here for you. I can't make up for the years I've missed, but I'd like to be your family."

The boy gazed up at the man who might be his father and saw the sincerity in his eyes, and smiled. Someone wanted him, not the Boy-Who-Lived, and not out of obligation, but by choice. Even though Harry had never been big on physical contact (he blamed that on the Dursley's), he lunged himself at Remus and hugged him, tears streaming down his face. "Thank you" was the only thing he could think to say.

However, Remus was both delighted and concerned at how quickly Harry was to accept this. He'd have to dig around a bit to see if the Dursley's had left any emotional scars on his son. His son…he didn't need to see the test results to know it was true, but in the small chance it wasn't, it didn't matter to him. Harry needed someone and he was determined to be there however he could for the boy. Now, if they could just bypass that one small possible furry problem…

But that was not here or now as he wrapped his arms around his pup, "You are more than welcome."

* * *

Remus entertained Harry with stories from his years at Hogwarts, giving him more insight on the infamous Marauders. He even mentioned the map they had created, although, had no idea where it had ended up. The last time he'd remembered seeing it was late in their 7th year when Peter supposedly was sneaking out to meet a girl. Harry was certainly enjoying hearing about his parents and their friends.

A bit later, Poppy returned, although she appeared a bit unsettled. "Remus, I'm going to assume that this won't come as a shock when I say that the results of the test came back with Lily and you as Harry's biological parents." Remus nodded. "Well, I suppose congratulations are in order- it's a boy!" Poppy chuckled. "Remus, before you leave, can I have a word with you about your pre-emptive potion?"

Remus looked confused, but followed her over to an area out of Harry's auditory reach. "After your results came back, I ran the test on the blood for the lycanthropic virus, and I'm afraid to say that it came back positive."

All the blood seemed to rush from his face; the worst had been confirmed. "I knew that it was a good chance he'd inherit it, but I had hoped he would be spared the difficulty."

She gently placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, "I know, you wouldn't wish that on anyone. But think of it this way, Harry has a family now. As a consolation, I wasn't lying when I said I needed to talk to you about a potion. There have been recent advances in the field of potions for werewolves. While not a cure, the Wolfsbane Potion helps to lessen some of the pain, decreases recovery time, and the most important, allows for the human mind to remain in control."

Remus inhaled sharply, "It seems too good to be true."

Her gaze tightened, "The problem is that the potion is exceedingly difficult to brew, and there are only a few accomplished Masters capable of brewing it correctly. Fortunately for you, and well, Harry now, Severus is able to do it."

"That would mean the world to me, knowing that I will pose less of a threat to the students. I'm sure this is unchartered territory, but will the potion be safe for Harry while the Heritage Potions are in him?"

"That I don't have an answer to, but I'll talk to my colleagues, using anonymous names of course, and see what they recommend about it. Now, do you wish for me to tell Harry or would you prefer to do that?"

Remus was lost in thought, trying to come to terms with everything, "I think it would be best if it came from me. He'll have questions that are probably easier for me to answer."

Poppy gripped his shoulder again, "It'll be alright, I know it. You're going to make a great father."

The werewolf blushed bright red at the compliment, "Thank you, Poppy. Please let me know when you hear anything, okay?"

"Of course. Now, I suggest you don't put off telling him too long. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to tell him."

He nodded and walked back towards his son, "Come on Pup, let's find something fun to do now that we got this appointment out of the way," Remus smiled, giving Harry a gentle shake to bring him back to reality.

"So it's true then? You're really my dad?"

"Yes, it's true."

"Then I'm glad. I've always dreamed about some unknown relative coming and taking me away from the Dursley's and now it's happened," Harry stated bluntly and leaned into his newfound father as they walked.

Remus couldn't help but be taken aback by how easily Harry was accepting this. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that there was no bad history between them. Figuring he'd find out sooner or later, he let it go. Nevertheless, he resolved to do everything in his power to give Harry the family he so deserved.

They returned to their quarters, this time Prongs reappearing. "That's my da- I mean, James' Animagus form then?"

"That's Prongs, yes. But Harry, James still is your father as well. Perhaps not biologically, but he raised you until the day he gave his life for you. If that's not what a father does, then I don't know what is," Remus told him gently.

"So I can have two fathers?"

"I'm not trying to take James' place- I could never do that. But I can do what he cannot now and give you a home and family."

Harry looked up at him, tears swimming in those green eyes. "Thank you."

"Now, we are going to need to have a long talk at some point how this is going to influence the future, but what say we have a bit of fun first? Anything special you'd like to do?"

Harry thought a bit, "I'd say go flying, but I think you'd nix that idea since it's raining. Hmm, does Hogwarts have a pool of any kind? I-I'd like to learn how to swim."

"Those dumb monkeys never taught you to swim?" Remus sighed, knowing it would be best to not get bent out of shape for Harry's sake.

"More like a horse, a walrus, and a whale," Harry grinned deviously.

Remus couldn't help but chuckle, "Either way, yes, I do know of the perfect spot. Go grab your trunks and we'll head over there."

Harry frowned, realizing something he'd forgotten about. "I uh…don't have any…" he mumbled. "It doesn't matter, we can just stay here and-…"

"Nonsense, we can still go. Grab an old pair of shorts and put them on."

Harry looked a bit confused, but complied and came back in a pair of Dudley's old cast offs. Remus sighed, wishing he was financially stable enough to get Harry some new clothes…but then remembered that the letter told him they'd both have access to the Potter vaults.

Remus came back to the present and flicked his wand, managing to transfigure the shorts into a feasible pair of trunks for the time being. He already changed into his own swimwear while he was waiting for Harry, as old and frayed as it may be. "Alright, let's head over to the fifth floor then. We're going to the Prefect's bathroom."

"What? Prefects get their own bathroom? Is that supposed to encourage people to become one?"

"Just wait till you see it- you might be surprised…"

Indeed he was. There was a full sized pool complete with diving board where normal bathtubs would be. On second glance, he noticed the spigots where colored soaps could be poured into the water. Now he understood what Remus meant- he'd love to have access to this room permanently.

"How did you know about this?" he asked curiously, testing the water with a foot.

"Because I was a Prefect."

Harry tried to imagine someone like Fred or George as a Prefect and burst out laughing, "No offense, but was Dumbledore smoking something? I mean, a prankster as a Prefect?"

"Brat. I believe their theory was something along the line of I was the most responsible of the four, so maybe I could rein James and Sirius in. I do believe it rather backfired," he laughed. "Now, c'mon. In the pool and lets see if there is any truth to pups always float in the water."

Harry smirked and jumped in, quickly followed by Remus; he could get used to this.

* * *

_**A/N:** Drop me a review if you like it! Well, or if you don't, haha. I do enjoy knowing that people are reading and what they think._


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N:** Same disclaimer as before. _

_Thanks for all the reviews!!!! _

* * *

After a while, Remus checked the time, only to realize that they had been swimming right through lunch and it was already almost time for dinner. "I do believe we lost track of time," Remus laughed and dragged himself from the water, and shook himself off like a dog, only to make Harry snicker.

"I guess 'Professor Wolfie' is a fitting title," he smirked.

"Hey, you spend time around a friend who turns into a dog more often than he's human and see if you don't pick up some rather… 'doggy habits'," he teased, knowing the more at ease he appeared with his condition, the easier it would be to break it to Harry.

"I really don't see Hermione or Ron turning out as dogs for their Animagus forms. I think Hermione would be some kind of owl…or maybe a cat. Hon, well, maybe he'd resemble his name and end up as a weasel. Either that or a parrot. He does like to let his mouth get away from him."

"What about you? What kind of animal do you think most fits you?"

Harry pondered about that as he dried off with one of the towels in the corner. His first reaction was to say a stag to go along with his father, but realized that didn't fit. No, he didn't like attention, unless it came from his friends and well, family now. He was fiercely loyal to those that he surrounded himself with. Usually he'd be rather quiet and shy, keeping himself unseen unless necessary. But he had claws so to speak when push came to shove and would take down any foe defending those he loved.

"A wolf," he firmly said after a few minutes.

Remus blinked; that wasn't the answer he'd expected to hear. As Harry explained his reasoning, Remus understood, and was surprised to learn just how much his son was like him. A random thought about Harry being an Animagus and a werewolf came to mind, wondering how it would impact his transformations, but brushed it off as to not look suspicious.

They returned to their rooms and changed back into normal clothes before asking Mindy for dinner. The pair dug in, devouring it seeing as the nutrient potions Poppy sent with them increased the appetite. Soon Mindy came back to collect the plates, only to have Harry plead for some chocolate cake and turned on the puppy eyes.

Remus broke out in a loud laugh, "If there was any doubt you were my son still, that right there just proves it."

Harry stared at him like he'd lost his marbles.

"I have a…ah…slight chocolate addiction. James and Lily always loved teasing me about it."

The boy nodded and worked on munching the very large piece of cake that Mindy had brought each of them and looked deep in thought. "Daddy Moony, am I a werewolf too then?" He asked out of the blue.

Remus dropped his fork in utter shock; he didn't know which caught him off guard more- having Harry flat out ask him if he was a werewolf, or being called 'Daddy Moony' all of the sudden.

Harry noticed Remus' startled expression and shrunk back, averting his gaze, "Oh, um, sorry, sir…I never asked if it was okay to call you 'dad'," he mumbled, wearing an expression something akin to a kicked puppy.

Remus got down on his knees and gently turned Harry's face to meet his eyes, "Harry, you don't need to be sorry. You're my family now and I would never deny you anything if I can help it. Of course you can call me 'dad.' I was just surprised at how quickly it came about, that's all."

"Oh, okay," Harry said, feeling very much relieved.

"But before I answer that, can I ask why you thought of this?"

"Iunno…I was just thinking about you being my real father and all. You told me that you are a werewolf, and therefore part magical creature. I guess I was just thinking that it would be passed down to me. But I'm probably way off base here cause I don't know anything about werewolves other than what I've heard people mention and how afraid they are of them. But you don't seem scary, I guess. You've been nice to me ever since I met you. Werewolves are only dangerous during the full moons, right?" Harry rambled on, his train of thought almost unable to be followed.

Remus laughed, although it was a sad laugh, "You have Lily's wonderful mind, that's for sure. I wasn't ready to talk about this yet, but I also promised myself that I wouldn't lie to you. When a child is born to a lycanthropic parent, there is a small chance that the child wouldn't contract the virus, but more often than not, they do. Poppy tested your blood this morning, and I have to tell you that….y-yes, the results came back p-positive." He looked absolutely miserable, tears falling from those light blue eyes. "I'm so sorry, Harry. I would never wish this curse on anyone."

Harry looked shocked as his theory was confirmed, but didn't understand why the man was beating himself up over it. "But you didn't do it on purpose, so what's there to be sorry for?" He asked, bewildered. It wasn't as if the man had purposely sought him out and bite him. He didn't really know anything about werewolves, like he said, but just because something bad happened, couldn't make it his new father's fault. "But if that's the price I have to pay for a real family, then I will gladly accept the condition."

All Remus could do was stare at this child who talked as though he were well beyond his almost 13 years. "Where did you get so smart?" He whispered and pulled his pup into a hug, wondering just where this child had gained so much insight on life.

"I dunno…" Harry blushed, not used to compliments. "If I'm a werewolf, how come I've never transformed before.?'

"It's another one of those traits of being born like this. The virus has a different development pattern compared to the virus of a bitten, and doesn't begin to be active until after your 13th birthday. So umm, the first moon you'll probably transform is the week before the semester starts."

"Oh, umm…okay…" Harry murmured, not really sure what to say.

"Since I'm being honest, Lily did write in the letter how you came to be. Yes, I myself cannot remember it, but the situation was explained to me. I would never want to burden a child with this kind of information, but I would have a hard time explaining why you might have unexpected consequences with the virus if I don't. But I'll give you the choice. Would you like to know, or would you prefer to be spared the morbid details?" Remus asked, part of him desperately hoping Harry would prefer to remain innocent of the truth.

Harry gazed at Remus, realizing that this was an incredibly hard topic to bring up, but if he thought it would be best for him to know, then he would have to listen. "Um, okay. Maybe it would be best if you told me."

Remus nodded, guessing that Harry would want to know. "I really wish I could spare you this, like I said, but we're going to be in unchartered territories with this. The reason I don't remember what happened is because I was M-moony at the time. James has been sent away for a week on a mission, but I still needed to use their basement for the full moon. James, being the lovable idiot, set the door to lock automatically when I went down, and could not be opened by any other means until the next morning. What James didn't count on was Lily helping me downstairs. Your mother ended up locked down there with me. At this point I have only Lily's words to go off of since I don't remember my time as Moony. Lily had panicked and somehow by accidental magic, turned herself into Spitfire, a red wolf. Apparently, Spitfire was in h-heat and neither she nor Moony could stop each other from what comes n-naturally at that point. The next morning I woke up and found Spitfire, seeing as Lily didn't know how to change back to human. She had never told me what happened that night until I received the letter," he finished, his voice just barely above a whisper, and face ashen with shame.

Harry looked shocked as he tried to digest how he came to be. "But what does that mean?"

"I'm not really sure how the curse will affect you exactly because you came from the union of two wolves, rather than a human and a werewolf in human form. There may be no differences, but there very well may be some, so we will need to keep an eye out."

"I…I guess this makes sense why I picked a wolf to suit me then," he muttered, and Remus couldn't help but ruffle his young son's already messy hair. "But you didn't hurt her, did you?" He asked timidly, but the fierce protectiveness came through his eyes.

"Like I said, I don't know what actually happened, but when I came to the next morning, Lily was unharmed and she told me in the letter it was no one's fault- it just happened. Actually, she told me that if I blamed myself, she'd come back and haunt me."

Harry nodded carefully, "Good. I would've had to punch you in the nose otherwise. Did Daddy James know about this? Or did mum keep it hidden from him?"

Remus shook his head, "No, she didn't hide it from him. If they had never died, I imagine you would've ended up with three dads and a mum."

"Three?"

"Sirius was so proud of you that some people mistook him for your father when he paraded you about in public. That's another reason why I'm doubting his involvement in the betrayal. Why would he want to harm the closest thing he had to a brother and his godson? It just doesn't make any sense at all! But if I find out that he did this all intentionally, I swear I'm going to let Moony out to play for a night…But hopefully we can get to the bottom of this soon. I miss my old friend, especially around the full moon."

"Oh, then I hope we figure it out soon too- more family, the better," Harry said stubbornly.

"We do need to figure out what to do about this upcoming year, however."

"Why? What's going on?"

"Well, Lily and James told me that if you inherited the werewolf virus, that on your first transformation, the potion would be flushed from your body."

"The potion?" Harry asked, feeling very confused for the umpteenth time that day.

"Oh, sorry Pup, there has just been so much information obtained over the last few days I've forgotten exactly what I have and haven't told you. The Heritage Potion that you were given at birth will not hold up after you transform for the first time and you'll look how you were if you had never been given the potion. So we're going to need to figure out what to do about your identity. While they left the ingredients to make the potion again, I fear that it would be needed after each time you transformed, and then we would run out of those items fast."

"Oh…so, um, what are we going to do?"

"You don't have to decide right now, but we can't put it off too long. A couple different ideas I've had include covering you with a glamour and act like nothing has happened outside of this room. We can give you a completely new identity and have you come back as my long lost son. Or, you can just say 'screw it!' and just tell everyone and not hide your parentage."

Harry mulled it over a bit before having a thought, "Are there any problems with any of these options?"

"There are different pros and cons for each. Such as using glamours are not necessarily powerful and can easily be nullified by accident, potentially leaving you in an awkward or potentially dangerous situation. Having you return under a new identity would be easiest in terms of your transformations- people wouldn't know you or your habits to pick up as easily as they could if you remain as Harry Potter. However, then we would have to deal with the issue of where Harry Potter disappeared to over the summer and why you suddenly appear now. We would also have to figure out how to hide your scar. The last option, well, at least the last one I've thought of, with us just telling everyone means that you wouldn't have to hide anything, well, other than the furry little problem, but you would have to deal with questions from everyone. Like I said, this is food for thought- take some time and think it over and we'll make a decision later."

Harry nodded, "Okay, I will. Umm, if I were to hide and pick up a different identity, would I be able to let any of my friends know?"

Remus didn't look thrilled, but knew it would be worse if it were to come out later and they didn't know to begin with. He nodded in approval, "Hmm, speaking of friends, do you have any plans for your birthday this weekend?"

Harry stopped, realizing that his birthday was indeed in a few days. "Oh, umm, no. I've never had a birthday party before. We don't need to do anything, really."

Twinges of regret radiated from the man, once again cursing those muggles. He was beginning to realize he was just scratching the surface of how far his Pup had been neglected. "Then I think it's high time we did something special for you."

Harry shifted awkwardly, he didn't want to offend Remus, but he really wasn't comfortable with being the center of attention, even if it was positive attention. "Umm, errr…Iunno. I'm not sure if anyone would want to come."

Remus sensed something was amiss, but knew he couldn't push too much on the subject yet. "How about just a nice day out doing something fun with a couple of your closest friends?"

It still made him uncomfortable, but if it was just a couple friends, he supposed it would be okay. "Err, I guess that sounds alright. What were you thinking?"

"Well, seeing as it's your special day, I'd say let's do something you'd like to do. That's the point of a party," Remus told him gently, trying to encourage him.

Harry thought for a few minutes, "Can we visit the zoo? The only time I've been there before got cut short cause my cousin got himself stuck in the python's cage."

He was dying to know the story behind that one, but filed it away to ask at a later date. "I think the zoo sounds like a fine idea. I haven't been there in years. So, who would you like to invite?"

"Just a couple people. My two friends Ron and Hermione…" he thought about last year and how rough it was for Ginny. "And Ron's little sister, Ginny. I think she needs a friend."

"That sounds feasible. Perhaps we should ask Professor Dumbledore if he'd care to join us. As an extra precaution, but I think I just want to see him running around the petting zoo area."

The boy couldn't hold back a snicker as he pictured the Headmaster's robes being chewed on by a goat. "I think I would be okay with that. I should owl them and see if they would like to go."

"You can floo call them if you'd like."

Harry looked bewildered, "Floo call?"

"Similar to using the Floo travel, but you only lean your head in and call to the person you are trying to contact."

"Oh…umm, Ron I suppose would be okay with that, but Hermione is muggle-born. I'm not sure how her parents would react to that. Hedwig could probably use the exercise anyhow."

"Ah, I understand. I remember freaking out the first time I saw one of my relative's heads floating in the fireplace. I ran out of the room screaming bloody murder and wouldn't look at the fireplace for a week, convinced that it was haunted," Remus chuckled humorlessly, and caught sight of the time. "Wow, time certainly has slipped away from us today. Why don't you send off those letters in the morning? In the mean time, I think that bed is in order."

Harry pouted, "But it's only ten!"

"Who said anything about sleep? I only said time to get to bed. Perhaps it would be a good time to read over your assignment for History of Magic."

Harry scrunched up his nose in response, "Alright, alright, you win this round."

"I thought you might say that. Night, Pup!"

"Night Daddy Moony!" he grinned and headed off to bed, head swirling around with everything that happened recently. He thumbed through his Quidditch book, but soon fell asleep, complete with book in hand.

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_**A/N: I haven't become quite set on which choice Harry is going to make about the upcoming semester. So, if you have an opinion (or another idea I didn't think about), please let me know! **_


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: Same disclaimer, of course, as before. **_

_**So, now on to the highly amusing task of acquiring new clothes for Harry and Remus.**_

* * *

The next couple of days were rather uneventful. Harry sent off the messages to his friends they replied back shortly saying that they would love to visit with him on his birthday. Remus arranged to pick them up at the Burrow that Saturday. Harry was slowly warming to the idea and soon couldn't wait for the day to arrive. However, in the mean time, Harry mostly focused on his summer homework while Remus finished off his lesson plans. The older man told Harry more stories from his days at school, and while Harry was hesitant, he shared a few of his own (less dangerous) adventures with his new father. During dinner on Thursday evening, Remus told Harry that he had a surprise for him the next day.

Harry woke up that morning and got dressed before Remus could send up his standard slobbering alarm clock. He went into the kitchen where he found his father chatting amicably with a young woman with bright pink hair.

"Morning Harry, I see you got up before Mr. Slobbers needed to pay a visit. This here is Ms. Nymphadora Tonks and she'll be joining us today."

Tonks glared at Remus, "Call me Nymphadora again and we'll see just how much you like walking around as a nymph today." Remus looked properly cowed. "Dora or Tonks will do."

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Tonks," Harry greeted shyly.

"Oh, how polite! Anyhow, come eat something before me and Furball over here eat it all."

Harry grinned and dug into the food on the table, wondering what these plans were that his dad made. He didn't have to wait long because Mindy came in shortly, carrying an old sock.

"Professor Featherbrains sent this with Mindy to give to Professor Wolfie, the young Master Pup, and his Auror Tripsie to take to Diagon Alley."

Harry giggled, "Auror Tripsie?"

"I haven't the faintest," Tonks huffed, getting up from the table, only to promptly stumble over her chair. She blushed bright red as father and son broke out in laughter.

"Anyhow, like Mindy said, we're going to Diagon Alley today so we can get you some proper clothes. I imagine that if you tried, you could fit a couple of you into your current sized wardrobe."

Harry found himself turning bright red and mumbled that it wasn't necessary. Judging from the man's own clothing, he could barely afford to take care of himself, let alone buy a new wardrobe.

Remus softened his gaze and gently brought Harry's face up to meet his own, "Please, let me do this. I've missed out on so much of your childhood already, and I want to make the time you have left count. Money isn't an issue now, honestly. The Headmaster is giving me a generous salary for taking up the Defense post." Harry couldn't refuse that logic, but then flicked a nervous glance towards Tonks, not sure what Remus had told her. "It's alright. I did tell Dora about us, but that's because she insists that she is an honorary aunt."

"That's right, ickle Harrykins! With your godfather being who he is and all, that means you are also an honorary Black, which makes you then related to me."

He didn't really understand her familial relationship to him, but didn't say anything about it. If she proved to be a nice person, he'd have another family member, and he could do with that. "So how come you're coming with us today?"

"She's coming for extra protection- an easy task for her with just having finished her Auror training."

"More like you need someone with a sense of style along!" she joked. "Imagine what you'd come back with if the Headmaster went with you!"

Harry paled at the thought of purple robes, gaudy materials, and other eccentricities that the man seemed to be fond of. "No, no, that's quite alright."

"Excellent, if we're done picking on his choice of 'fashion,' let's head out," the werewolf said placidly.

The three were transported to Diagon Alley via the portkey. It was a fairly slow day, seeing as Hogwarts letters had yet to be sent out. Their first stop was Gringotts, were they went to the Potter main vault. On seeing it, Remus was instantly grateful to his friends; he'd never have to worry about not being able to provide for his son. Yes, he didn't like having to survive on handouts, but the welfare of his son came before his own pride. Harry also grabbed a bit of pocket money from his own personal vault.

"Okay, I think that if Harry has to suffer through the experience of replacing his entire wardrobe, that Remus should have to share his pain and replace his own!" Tonks grinned mischievously.

"Wh-what?! I don't need new clothes, honestly!" Remus stammered.

"Daddy Moony," he said softly in a voice only the werewolf's hearing could pick up, "It's only fair. Wouldn't you like to look you best when you teach? Imagine what the Slytherins would say if they saw you in your current robes." He turned his puppy dog eyes on Remus.

"Okay, fine. You win. You two are trouble, you hear me?" Tonks just nodded eagerly as she pulled them in the direction of Madam Malkin's. Both father and son sighed as they gave up all hopes for the rest of the day. New robes were a simple enough affair. For the most part, each got a few new normal day robes, and Harry got a special set to use in Potions class to help repel the uh…mishaps brewing from Neville's cauldron. Tonks particularly liked the dark blue and silver robes on Remus, saying that they brought out his eyes.

Before long they ended up at a store for muggle wear, knowing that Harry would be more comfortable in that for the most part. Tonks kept trying to put Harry in t-shirts with silly phrases such as "Here comes trouble!" or "Prankster in training!" but Harry nixed those right away. He did like a couple that had animals on them, especially the ones of the wolf, stag, and foxes. Both adults insisted that he also get the other necessities, which thoroughly embarrassed Harry with having Tonks insist on help pick out his underwear. Remus didn't escape scott free either as she demanded that he update that portion of his wardrobe as well. She also pleaded that Remus try on, and buy a pair of leather pants, under the argument 'that it made his arse look sexy.' Harry couldn't help but think that he purchased them solely to get Tonks off his back. But before long, each had more than enough well-fitted clothes, and Tonks had joined in on the fun herself. Although, Harry did think he was going to die of embarrassment again when Tonks dragged them into the bra section.

Finally, it was over and the trio was situated in the Leaky Cauldron for lunch. They snacked on sandwiches and soup, but this proved to be a bad choice as both Harry and Remus ended up wearing said soup when Tonks ran into the table at one point. Remus just sighed and cleaned them off while Tonks looked sheepish. And while no fingers could be pointed, Harry had the feeling that Remus was responsible for cow ears that suddenly sprouted from Tonks' head. The boy took note to ask his new dad for help on how to do these spells.

Remus needed to head over to Flourish and Blotts, but neither Harry or Tonks looked thrilled with the prospect of browsing books. The werewolf just waved them off saying he'd meet them in the Magical Menagerie shortly. There was no hesitation has the two scampered away before Remus could change his mind and have them stuck in the bookstore for hours.

Noises of all varieties filled the air as they wandered inside the store. Harry realized while they were killing time waiting, he might as well grab some owl treats for Hedwig. He wandered around, looking for them, when he heard a soft whine from a corner. He looked over and saw a puppy who was in the middle of the puppyhood awkward stage with gangly legs that didn't quite fit the young animal yet. Kneeling down as to not frighten the pup, he reached a hand towards her, trying to coax her into coming forward. The storeowner noticed the interaction and wandered over.

"She's such a nice pup. I would love to see her finally get a home soon."

"She's been here for awhile?" Harry asked, cocking his head to the side, while scratching the pup behind the ear.

The witch nodded sadly, "A few weeks actually. I guess most wizards don't want a muggle dog. A shame really. She'd make someone very happy."

Tonks took that moment to run into Harry….literally, to see what was going on. She couldn't help herself as she squealed over the salt and pepper colored pup. Although friendly to Tonks, the pup remained firmly by Harry's side and refused to budge.

The pink haired witch snickered, "I wonder how Remus will feel about a puppy invading his rooms." Harry glanced up at her, confused. "The dog has clearly decided who she's going home with."

The owner smiled, "I do hope he'll agree. While I don't mind her being here, she belongs in a home with a real family."

That's all Harry had to hear. When his father came in a few minutes later, he tugged on his robes and told him he wanted to show him something. Said something gave Remus the patented Puppy-Dog Look and Harry knew his new friend was going home with them. They paid for her and the other necessary doggy items, as well as plenty of treats for Hedwig.

The trio walked out into the street, Harry's new dog following faithfully on her new collar and leash, and headed towards their designated Portkey locale. Harry paused for a moment to let the dog sniff something and his eyes went wide as he saw a large shaggy dog in the shadows. "Da-Remus!" Harry caught himself, knowing now was not the time to use his humorous title for the man, "There! In the shadows!"

But the animal wasn't there. Remus frowned and knew it most certainly was time to get back to Hogwarts. More than likely it was Sirius Black as his alter-ego, Padfoot, prowling around, and Remus didn't know if he could be trusted or not. He didn't say anything, as to not frighten the other two, but urged them to walk quickly to their destination.

A few minutes later they were back in their rooms, complete with a distraught dog who was unaccustomed to magical transport. Tonks headed on back to her place, but not before happily promising to watch the newly dubbed Rudi tomorrow while they were at the zoo for his birthday. Harry couldn't help but feel slightly apprehensive about Tonks carrying for something living, but let it go.

Remus decided to forgo calling the house elves for dinner, and proceeded to make it himself, with some assistance from Harry, who had insisted on being useful. Nothing special, but they were proud of it anyhow.

Remus spoke suddenly a bit later, "Mr. Moony believes that it is time for Mr. Pronglet to get some sleep before Mr. Pronglet wakes up as a teenager tomorrow morning."

"Mr. Pronglet does not agree with Mr. Moony, but will concede on the condition that Mr. Moony will teach Mr. Pronglet how to prank others effectively."

Remus just laughed and hugged his pup before sending him off to bed.

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_**A/N: Read, review :) For the next chapter shall be a fun filled day at the zoo, and of course, we all know that things can never go right when magical folk decide to visit a muggle location!!!**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: Same disclaimer as usual. Look to the first one :P **_

_**Thanks for all the reviews you've been leaving :) I much enjoy getting hearing what you all think. So, on to the next installment...which turned out to be a lot longer than I expected it to be!**_

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Harry woke the next morning to find Rudi licking him on the mouth as well as to find that his lower half was not human at the moment, but rather, that of a young stag. "MOONY!!!!!" He yelped, trying to figure out how one was supposed to walk on hooves, much less four legs. A loud crash reverberated around the rooms as Harry fell off the bed with a spectacular thud. Rudi looked at her owner, trying to figure out what happened to him. Remus decided to make his presence known as he let out a hearty chuckle at his son's predicament.

"Mr. Moony would like to wish Mr. Pronglet a most happy birthday and hopes that this shall inspire him to live up to the family names."

Harry glared at his father as he tried to untangle his limbs, but not before a flash of a camera went off. "Arg! You're dead!"  
Remus just smirked, "You have to catch me first!" With that, he disappeared from the room, leaving Harry to prop himself up on those awkward legs.

With a painstakingly slow speed, he managed to figure out the act of walking again, and headed out the door to find Remus grinning goofily at him. "Now just how am I supposed to go into the Muggle zoo looking like this?"

Remus waved a hand, "Not to worry; it'll wear off in about an hour. But in the mean time, it gives me a chance to do this," he grinned and snapped another picture of his deer-taur son.

Harry moaned, "This is so not fair! You've got loads more experience than me! How am I supposed to get you back?"

Remus arched an eyebrow, "There is this thing known as a library…"

"Ha-ha, very funny. Remind me never to make you mad."

"Well, how about a bit of breakfast before we go to round up the Headmaster and your friends?"

Remus sat down at the table, Harry standing for obvious reasons, and they dug into the very large stack of pancakes one of the house elves left for them. Harry piped up a few moments later wondering about something.

"Why a deer and not a wolf?"

"Because I thought it would be fitting to turn Mr. Pronglet into his current namesake."

"Oh….but should I be 'Mr. Moonylet' by that reasoning?"

Remus laughed, "Okay, so you got me there, but can you honestly tell me that 'Mr. Moonylet' even remotely sounds okay?"

Harry screwed up his face at the thought, "Fine, you win again, but don't think I won't get you back!" He griped, stomping a hoof on the ground.

"Don't fret, Pup. You'll get your own name soon enough. But in the meantime, I think James would be honored for you to be known as 'Mr. Pronglet'."

"Okay," Harry agreed shyly.

Remus was surprised still at just how quick Harry could change from being outgoing to painfully shy. It seemed to happen whenever he got even the slightest compliment, kind word, or bit of disapproval. He could only hope that the more time he spent away from the Dursley's, the more he would recover from the neglect inflicted by those…muggles. He'd tried to gently pry about it the other day, but Harry clammed up and refused to say a word on the matter. He sighed and let it be, but sooner or later someone needed to get through to the boy.

A few minutes later, Harry felt his lower half become extremely awkward as it twisted around, leaving him with only his two human legs. He blushed when he realized his pants were missing and went running as fast as he could to his room to get dressed. Harry came back a couple minutes later, dressed and ready to leave. Mindy took that moment to pop back in and let them know that Professor Featherbrains was waiting for them in his office. A bit later found the pair presented with lemon drops.

"Happy birthday, my boy! I do hope it ends up being a pleasant one."

"Well, this joker already turned me part stag before I had even woken up!"

The mirth danced in the old man's eyes, "I suspect James would have approved, perhaps even thought it was an improvement." His face became more serious. "Now, Harry, because of the possible sighting of Sirius Black in the vicinity, I'd like to take a precautionary measure and use some simple glamour charms just to mask your appearance while we are gone."

He flicked his wand and Harry's black hair became Weasley red, green eyes became blue, glasses became silver-ish square frames, and his scar was powdered up by muggle makeup.

Remus snickered in the background, "I'm gonna call you Lyulf today. And before you even ask, it's because the name means 'Fire Wolf' which seems highly appropriate with your current appearance, since Harry would be well, a bit of a giveaway."

"Do you enjoy coming up with bad names?"

"It's a favorite pastime," he smirked, letting the boy know that it would be used for the day, much to his dismay. "I must let your friend Ron and his family know that their cousin Lyulf Weasley is in town for the day."

Harry groaned, knowing that Ron and the others would be laughing hysterically at his current dilemma. He could only hope that this would not be material for blackmail later on. But, at any rate, the three flooed over to the Weasley residence, where a sea of redheads filled the room. Harry was a bit uncomfortable as they all came over and pulled him into a hug, wishing him a happy birthday. The twins decided to harass 'Lyulf' for neglecting to mention that he was going to be in town, much less even existed.

"Well, are you four ready to go?" Remus asked, smiling at the genuine care this family had for their all by adopted son.

"Yes, Professor Moony!" Harry chirped cheekily. The thought of calling the man 'Professor Lupin' was just too awkward now.

"Insufferable brat," he grumped, but failed to keep the amusement from his eyes. He directed his next comment to the other three, "Feel free to call me Remus or Moony out of the classroom- Professor makes me feel as old as the Headmaster here!"

Dumbledore chuckled in good humor at the insult and pulled out a hula-hoop (Merlin knows where) from his robes and beckoned for the others to come near. After making sure they all had a firm hold, Albus muttered 'Portus' and the group was deposited in a small, secluded canopy of trees just outside the Edinburgh Zoo.

"Oh, by the way, Harry is to be called 'Lyulf' today for security reasons, but you may have guessed that already when he showed up looking very much like a Weasley," Remus told them.

"Yes sir!" Hermione piped up cheerfully.

Remus made a face, "New rule- anyone who calls me Sir or Professor today answers to the prank end of my wand." Hermione's face looked as though he had just uttered blasphemy. "Now, I'm sure Lyulf here already mentioned it, but yes, he is staying with me for now, and yes, I am your new Defense Professor in the fall. Now, on to the fun stuff."

Harry's eyes went big as he tried to take in everything once they entered the zoo. He had always loved animals growing up, and he wasn't about to miss anything now! He was distracted though by a soft tug on his sleeve.

"Thanks for inviting me to come with you," came the small voice, and Harry saw it was Ginny.

"I'm glad you came," he returned shyly.

Remus grinned as he overheard this- what was it about redheads, he wondered. But he didn't have much time to ponder as he had to scamper after the four children…and Albus. He was starting to regret inviting the Headmaster along, now seeing the man was just as childlike as his charges for the day! Finally, he caught up with them, "Okay, you little rascals, no taking off on me like that again or I'll have to implement the buddy-system, and I for one, don't relish the thought of having to hold on to the Headmaster's hand all day to keep him out of trouble!"

The children all laughed, including Albus, before promising to behave. As they began the tour, a peacock that was allowed to roam the premises took to strutting proudly behind Dumbledore, much to the group's amusement. Remus had thought ahead and brought his camera with them and snapped a picture of the peacock walking in sync with the elderly man. For the rest of their time in the park, Mr. Strutters, as he was later dubbed, followed them, making the zoo keepers look on in confusion at the bird's antics.

Little did they know that this was just the start of what the animals would do today. Perhaps it was the presence of a Marauder and son that got the animals all riled up, or maybe it was just the fact that they were not accustomed to magical folk. Either way, the zoo keepers at the Edinburgh Zoo would never be the same.

Elephants were the first on the list and they wandered close to the exhibit. It was a nice pasture like enclosure, and close to the fence was a water hole. Being the middle of summer, a few of the elephants chose to make their day cooling off in the water. The girls squealed in delight as a small baby elephant peered around its mother and came closer to investigate.

"Aww! Look at him! Isn't he darling?" Ginny cooed, wishing she was close enough to touch the animal.

"Given his size, I'd say he's about two months old," Hermione stated informatively, although clearly she was enjoying watching him.

Ron rolled his eyes and muttered, 'Girls!' under his breath, and Harry snickered. However, the elephant must have had enough of the girls squealing because suddenly Hermione and Ginny both were drenched by the water the small elephant shot at them. Ron and Harry were about rolling on the ground laughing and Remus wasn't far behind. Dumbledore chuckled and cast a drying spell discretely at them, but not before Remus had a chance to snap another picture.

Harry decided to pull them all away before the wrath of two pissed off females descended upon them. There was a giraffe feeding station nearby and a tug at Remus' hand knew where they were heading next. Each of them got some of the grain pellets from the feeding station and took turns feeding one of the giraffes that came towards them. When Harry went up for his turn, the giraffe decided to grab not only the grain, but his glasses too! Ron howled in laughter at the site of his friend's glasses swinging wildly through the air in the mouth of a giraffe. One of the keepers was finally able to get her to let go of the frames and handed them back to Harry, who was mortified to find giraffe saliva all over the lenses.

"Perhaps we should head somewhere a little….more sedate," Remus said reasonably, but almost failing to keep the chuckle escape from his lips. He pointed in the direction of the petting zoo, thinking that might be a safe option. But nothing could ever be that simple.

The motley crew entered the petting zoo area, to which everyone ran off in opposite directions it seemed. Ginny chased after the ducks, Harry found himself surrounded by a herd of hungry sheep, Hermione was attaching herself to a miniature donkey, and Remus was looking on hungrily at one of the cows, thinking it would make a tasty steak. Dumbledore was making a fool out of himself while attempting to have a long, philosophical discussion with a goat about what constitutes as inappropriate charms. Remus couldn't help but take a blackmail photo of that for later use. Ron, however, had a different goat, but it appeared that this one was hungry. It sniffed around Ron, making him laugh from the tickling sensation before its muzzle found his wand.

"Hey! You stupid goat! Give me that back!" He cried, trying to reclaim it before the goat snapped the Spell-O-Taped wand even more. But the goat was feeling particularly feisty and took off running around the paddock. Ron created quite a ruckus as he tore through the area trying to reclaim his damaged wand. Finally he caught up….well, only because the goat stopped dead at the sight of food and dropped the wand into a bucket of slop. Ron grimaced as he rescued the wand from the gooey mixture. Remus, being the camera whore, got a picture, which only served to send him running away as Ron tried to tackle him.

The camera ended up in Harry's possession during the chase, so of course that meant Remus got himself in a picture finally. The boy decided to claim the camera for the time being to give everyone a chance to escape the photos. They visited a few more exhibits without too much grief, other than the dropping of bird poop that ended up on Harry's sleeve from a bird overhead and Ginny playing a strange version of a dance-off with a ring-tailed lemur.

Up ahead was the grey wolf exhibit and Harry had mixed feelings about seeing a real wolf for the first time. On one hand, it'd be nice to see what he'd look like when he transformed, but that same thought terrified him. Remus must have sensed his hesitation and gently placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. As Harry got his first look at a real wolf, he thought the animals were magnificent; beautiful creatures with their sleek coats and piercing eyes.

"They seem so peaceful," Harry said softly to his dad, awkwardly playing with a loose thread on his shirt.

"Normal wolves are complex creatures, but the one thing that really separates them from werewolves is that they don't seek out something to hunt unless they need to eat. Werewolves are driven to attack humans, hungry or not."

Harry knew there was more, but could wait to ask when everyone wasn't around. Dumbledore noticed and calmly herded the others over to a nearby exhibit, leaving Harry and Remus alone. "So, we might look mostly identical to a real wolf, but act almost nothing at all like them?"

"Well, that's not entirely true. Yes, werewolves are a lot more vicious by nature, but the same instincts are there- find food, protect the pack, mate, etc. Unlike an Animagus, a werewolf does not keep their human mind while transformed."

Harry nodded in understanding and returned his gaze to the pack of wolves. He was startled to see a number of the females had made their way over towards Remus, who was looking perplexed. The males were growling at him. Then one of the females turned around and raised her tail, causing Remus to flush deep scarlet in embarrassment.

"Dad?" He asked soft enough so on one else could hear. "What's she doing?"

"She's uh…well, umm…err…she's in season and is presenting herself," he mumbled awkwardly; this was not how he'd ever imagined having to give the talk on sex to someone!!! He tried to pull him and Harry away from the pack, but as they did, the female wolves began to howl in protest, which served to heat Remus' cheeks even more.

Harry giggled at the man's quandary, "Moony, you player!"

Remus stared at him, not sure what to say to that, "Player…?"

"Er…never mind."

Perplexed, he followed Harry over to where the others were watching a pair of sea lions chasing each other around their enclosure. He supposed he was just out of touch with the young generation's lingo.

By that point, it was late in the afternoon and the kids were clamoring for food. Remus and Dumbledore so no reason why not and led the kids to one of the restaurants called the Rainforest Café. The group chatted about any and everything, and age gaps didn't affect the quality of conversation. Hermione in particular was pestering Remus for any kind of hints he could tell her about the upcoming year so she could get ahead like usual. Ron and Dumbledore were having a debate about the pros and cons of new versus old chess sets. Harry and Ginny just laughed at them all and talked about quidditch tactics to use this year. They debated about summoning their presents for Harry, but decided against it with being surrounded by muggles.

After the late lunch, they explored the zoo a bit more but before long, signs of exhaustion crept through all and they knew it was time to head back. The hula-hoop portkey returned them to the Weasley's residence, where they paused for a bit so Harry could open his friend's gifts. From Ron, he got the usual chocolates and Berty Botts. Hermione, ever the one for education, gave him a planner that would flash him nasty notes until he did his homework, but also a book on quidditch. Ginny gave him a white gold phoenix pendant on a black cord that had a couple of basic healing charms infused with it. Arthur took note of how exhausted both Remus and Albus were, and insisted that he'd be fine taking Hermione home, which both men were very grateful for.

The moment the two returned back to their quarters, Remus flopped on the couch and refused to move. "One word about me getting old and you'll be wearing those deer legs again, this time for a week!"

Harry put on his best deer in the headlights look, "Why ever would I say that?"

"Are we sure you're mine? You've got Puppy-eyes down to a science…"

Harry fidgeted uncomfortably, not really sure what to say to that. He'd come to terms that he now had a living father, but he was still trying to figure out how to act around him, seeing as he'd never had someone looking out for him before. "I…umm…"

Remus instantly felt guilty, realizing it was too soon to joke so lightly about their relationship, "Sorry, Pup, I didn't mean anything by it. So, did you have a good time today?"

The boy nodded eagerly, "Yea! It was great! Thanks for taking me and my friends there."

Remus smiled and ruffled the boy's unruly hair, "Have you given any thought to what you want to tell your friends about us?"

Harry nodded, "Yea, I have. I really don't want to have to go through the mess of trying to come back as a new student without raising suspicions. As much as I want to disappear from that damn "boy who lived" title, I know I can't do that now. But I also can't see letting things go back to the way they were before. I might have only known you for a really short amount of time, but I don't want to lose the only family that I have. I want the privilege to be able to acknowledge my parents and be proud, not have to hide it like I'm ashamed of it. If people don't like it, it's their own fault. I shouldn't have to change who I am to please others."

The man was quite surprised at the thought and feeling Harry had put behind his answer. "And I would be proud to acknowledge you as mine. I will admit, I am very curious to know what you truly look like. When do you plan on telling your friends?'

"Umm…soon, I guess. Maybe after the full moon, this way I'm not explaining things twice. Merlin knows that Ron would need a couple of explanations otherwise."

"Hermione does appear to be the brains of your group. Do I even want to think how you guys would've fared otherwise in your adventures?"

"Er, no. But something I was wondering though, is what about my name?"

"Oh…umm, I hadn't thought about that," Remus said sheepishly. "If you plan on telling everyone, then there's no need to change your name."

"Ah, okay then," Harry agreed, although his eyes didn't say the same thing.

"Like I said, nothing has to be set in stone yet. Besides-"

He was interrupted suddenly as their portrait opened with a bang and a ball of white and black fur flew at Harry. Tonks looked thoroughly frazzled.

"You're training that furball before I agree to watch her again! The mongrel kept pulling me every direction by the right one!" She huffed, her hair flickering between red and pink.

Harry laughed as Rudi licked his face, getting it full of slobber, "Did you drive Ms. Tonks crazy, you silly dog? Good girl," he praised the pup and rubbed her halfway standing up ears.

"Don't worry, Harry will begin puppy training tomorrow."

"For him or Rudi?" She smirked, leaving an indignant Harry behind as she left the rooms.

"You know, I might not know a lot about werewolves, but I'm pretty sure you can't train them."

A mischievous glint entered his father's eye, "That's because no one has ever tried. Perhaps we should let Hagrid take care of you during the full moon."

It was all he could do to stop himself from whacking the man upside the head for the thought. Instead, he grabbed a pillow and attempted to pummel the man with it. Remus looked around frantically for another pillow, but found none and neither was his wand in reach to conjure one. "Mr. Moony will yield to Mr. Pronglet and will never mention werewolf pup training with Hagrid again, and presents these packages with apologies!" He said, pointing to a few packages in the corner.

"Mr. Pronglet wants it known that this was unnecessary on Mr. Moony's part, but is happy to receive them nonetheless." Harry picked up a longish box and unwrapped it, finding a telescope under the paper.

"I've noticed how much you enjoy the celestial theme of your room and thought you might like your own telescope. It's charmed to identify the constellations and other entities in space as you come across them. However, that does mean you can't use it in your Astronomy class," he chuckled.

"Aww, bugger! Why not?" He whined jokingly and grabbed the next package. He opened it to find a well read copy of "Human Heart, Hairy Snout." Harry looked up questioningly at Remus.

"This is the book my parents gave me after I was bitten. It's not information like you'd find in a textbook of yours, but rather a real account by an anonymous werewolf about his life. I thought it might help answer some questions you didn't feel comfortable asking me about."

Harry ran a gentle hand down the front, appreciating the thought behind it. Then he noticed there was one more package. All the sudden, the gift twitched, moving itself and startled Rudi clear across the room. Harry opened it cautiously, trusting that whatever was inside wouldn't hurt him, but knew it could still be a prank. However, a prank it was not, but rather, a set of animated stuffed critters in the shape of a stag, a grey wolf, a red wolf, a big black dog, and a rat. The minute the critters were free of their confinement, they took off across the room, chasing each other hand making quite the ruckus. Rudi looked properly terrified as they pounced on her tail.

Remus roared in laughter as the overgrown puppy tried to take refuge in Harry's lap. "I knew those things would be trouble, but I didn't expect them to be that much like the Marauders!"

"Was this a smart idea? I mean, what if they escape the rooms and get into the castle proper?"

"All you have to say is that the Marauders have resurfaced," Remus grinned innocently.

This, Harry thought, was the start of trouble.

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_**A/N: Yea, so I really didn't know what all was at the Edinburgh Zoo, so forgive me if I put animals that weren't actually there. **_

_**Next chapter, we finally get to meet Sirius! :D**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N: Same disclaimer as before: Look back to the first chapter. **_

_**Sorry for taking awhile to upload this! I ended up getting slammed with a bunch of hours at work, so fun stuff got up on hold sadly. Anyhow, Sirius decided he wanted to make an appearance into the story finally. Yay!**_

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Harry was right in his prediction. Those little terrors escaped the night that Albus decided to have dinner in the Great Hall for the castle's occupants the next day. Along with Harry, Remus, Albus and Poppy, the others included Minerva, Sprout, Flitwick, and much to his distaste to being dragged out of his dungeons, was Snape. At first everything seemed to be going alright, other than Snape shooting the patented Death Glare at Harry and Remus for just daring to breathe. But then, out of nowhere, a stuffed rat jumped up and landed on the table, scuttling through the food, promptly being chased by the rest of the animal crew, with the exception of a stag that had attached itself to Severus' lap.

"POTTER!!!!" Snape bellowed, clearly disgruntled at the stuffed stag pawing at his lap.

The boy put on his most innocent face he could muster up and said with a straight face, "There are no Potters here, Professor Snape."

"Have you lost what little wits you had, boy?" He glared, his eyes seething with annoyance.

"No, sir. I believe the name you meant to say is, 'LUPIN!!!'"

Snape just goggled at them before ripping the stag from his lap and depositing it on to Flitwick's head and departed from the table in a brisk manner.

"That was worthy of the Marauder's name," his father said proudly, hardly able to hold back the roaring laughter he was trying to contain.

McGonagall pursed her lips in disapproval at his behavior, "It's disrespectful to lie to your elders, Mr. Potter."

Harry smiled, ready for the bomb to drop, "But Professor, I wasn't lying. There are no Potters here."

"What's all this nonsense about?" She huffed, clearly not enjoying being out of the loop.

"Now that's not entirely true, Harry. You're still a Potter, even after the potion wears off. I've already explained this to you."

"Potions? Headmaster, are they addled in the mind?" Sprout queried, thinking that perhaps both Harry and Remus had been confunded.

Albus smiled serenely, "Well, I guess young Harry has made his decision about what route he will be taking this fall. However, this is best answered by these two here."

Harry smiled widely, "You see Professor, James Potter did help raise me, but I've discovered I have a living furball as my father."

For the first time since he'd met her, Remus saw McGonagall gapping at them with her mouth frozen in shock. "B-but…" she spluttered, incapable of speech.

"I will not go into the specifics, but yes, it's true. We found out last week, quite as a surprise, that Harry is my biological son," he explained and ruffled Harry's hair.

"But he looks exactly like…James…" Flitwick protested, but realized that Harry did indeed look unnaturally like James Potter. "I'm going to assume that this potion is some variety of an appearance changer?"

Harry nodded.

"Well then….I suppose congratulations are in order for Mr. Potter…Mr. Lupin….whoever, and my condolences for you, Remus, as I'm sure you'll have many more grey hairs before your time," Minerva said.

"Hey!" Harry protested.

"You do seem to attract a lot of trouble…" Flitwick piped up.

Harry sat back in his chair and sulked.

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The next couple of days were fairly uneventful, other than Remus prying information about what happened his first two years at Hogwarts. Harry remained stubborn about avoiding the issue, and subtly changed the topic when it was brought up. Remus caught it, but still didn't press- it wasn't worth risking their fragile bond over. Sooner or later Harry would be able to confide in him, but he knew these things would take time, especially considering his upbringing by the Dursley's.

Things were able to change again as an owl flew into the room and dropped a letter on Remus' head. The man scowled, not appreciating the new mail delivery conspiracy against him, but opened the letter curiously.

_'Dear Mr. Moony, and Mr. Moony Jr._

_I understand that you most likely believe I am guilty of that October scandal, but I would like you to hear my side of the story. If you grant me this, I am currently staying at our old haunt. Like I said, I know you probably don't believe me, nor would I expect you to, but I want a chance to explain, especially to one who deserves to know the truth. I do not ask that you come alone, but I do ask that you bring someone with an open mind at least._

_Mr. Padfoot.'_

Remus folded up the letter, pondering his next action. He already so desperately wanted to believe his old friend, but knew better than to jump into this blindly. It didn't take him long to decide that the headmaster would be the best choice. If Sirius was guilty, then surely he'd be no match for the older wizard. He also decided that Harry most certainly would not be coming along. If it was all a trap to get at Harry-….

"Since when do owls drop letters on people's heads?" Harry asked, breaking Remus out of his train of thought.

"Since apparently I've grown a bull's-eye on the top of my head with the words 'Drop Stuff Here' on it," he grumbled.

Harry snickered before asking if the letter was of any interest since he seemed to get lost in his thoughts and wasn't responding at all.

"Oh, umm, well, the letter came from Sirius Black. He asked me to give him a chance to explain what happened that night."

"You're going to, right?"

"Of course, but I'm thinking about the best way to go about doing this in case it's a trap. I'm thinking that Headmaster Dumbledore would be the best choice to take along."

"So, when do we go?"

Remus raised an eyebrow, "I am going to contact Albus now, you, however, shall be staying here where it's safe."

"But it was my idea that he might be innocent in the first place! And he's also my godfather! Don't I deserve to know the truth too?" Harry argued.

Remus pulled Harry over to him and kneeled down so he was looking him in the eye, "Harry, I understand you want to help Sirius, but we can't be sure that he's to be trusted yet. If I took you along, that would show people that I am not responsible enough to take care of your safekeeping. Now that I found you, I don't ever want to lose you. If he's guilty, then I'll have spared you from having to meet a lunatic, but if he's innocent, you'll meet him soon enough, alright Pup?"

Harry relented with a nod, but that still didn't mean that he liked being left behind, "Okay, I get it."

"But before I go, I want to find someone for you to stay with while I go. I know you're too old for a babysitter, but I don't like the idea of leaving you by yourself if it's a plot."

Harry scowled at the mention of a babysitter, but didn't say anything- he realized he wasn't going to change the man's mind. "How about Hagrid?"

"Unfortunately Hagrid is off on an extended errand right now. Flitwick has also gone into town. I guess that leaves Minerva, Sprout, Madam Dragon or Snape. But I'm going to assume that the last two are automatically nixed."

"Professor McGonagall," Harry answered, realizing she might have an answer to a question he thought up.

"Excellent, we should head off now. I think you should bring Rudi with you if you're going to stay with Minerva," he said with a mischievous glint in his eye.

Harry's eyes got wide as he realized what his father meant. "Rudi!" he called, and the long-legged pup came running full force into the room. "Hey girl, what do you say to accompanying me to visit with Professor McGonagall? We can see if she's much of a dog person, or if she just prefers cats." The dog wagged her tail in approval.

"Alright, let's be off," the man said and motioned for both pups to follow him. A few minutes later found Harry and Rudi in Minerva's quarters, while Remus headed to find Albus.

* * *

"So, Mr…." she trailed off, unsure of what to call him.

Harry felt his face turn bright red, "I don't know either, Professor."

Minerva looked down at him sympathetically, "My apologizes, Harry. I know this must be difficult for you."

"Yes Professor, I mean, my real dad is nice and it's great to have a living father, but it's just a lot of changes," he mumbled, not really sure why he was telling his strict head of house this.

To her credit, she smiled and tried to help, "I understand Harry. With this comes a lot of changes, and no doubt a lot of awkward questions, but no doubt a lot of good will come from it. You're already away from those….muggles," she said with such distaste that Harry was surprised. "I never agreed with Albus about him leaving you there, even if they were your only remaining family at that time. But Remus is a good man, even with his small problem…" she trailed off, realizing in horror that he might not have told Harry yet.

Harry noticed and decided to spare her, "It's okay Professor, he told me about his furry little problem already."

"Oh good. It wouldn't do to keep something like that from his son."

"Professor, I do have a question that I thought you could help me with. My dad gave me a book about werewolves so I could understand them better and I came across a passage saying that Animagi aren't capable of acquiring the werewolf virus while in animal form. But what about if they are human at the time? Would it still affect them? If so, how would that impact their Animagus form?"

McGonagall just gapped at him, wondering where he thought up this question from.

"And, is there any reason why a werewolf could not elect to become an Animagus?"

"Where does this stem from?"  
"I read that the werewolf's change is painful because of the resistance to the change. But if a werewolf were to become an Animagus, where he willingly changed to an animal, would the transformation remain painful?"

The Transfiguration Professor was gobsmacked, "Those, Harry, are questions that I do not know the answer to, but I am now intrigued and will inquire within the Transfiguration field. I take it you want to know because of your father, no?"

Harry frowned, unsure if they planned to tell all the professors about his condition, "Ah, yea."

"Like I said, I don't have an answer now, but I will inquire to some colleagues of mine. Excellent question you have posed! You are starting to show that intelligence that your parents are known for."

Harry smiled brilliantly at that; usually he was compared to James' looks and propensity for trouble, and his mother's eyes, but that was all. This was a nice change. For the next couple of hours, she told him about his parents, all of them, when they were students, as well as giving him some insight as to what they would be covering that upcoming year. Harry, for his part, tormented his Professor by having Rudi chase her around in cat form. It seemed to do the trick and kept Harry's mind off of what his father was doing right now.

* * *

"Remus, what brings you here today?" Albus inquired, genuinely curious about the man's presence.

"This came for me today," and handed over the note.

"I take it that you would like me to accompany you on this endeavor?" he asked after reading it.

"Yes, and if we could persuade Severus to allow us a vial of Veritaserum…"

"No need, I have a vial of it that I keep in my own personal stores."

"If we can go now, that would be good. I've already arranged for Harry to stay with Minerva for the time being."

"Certainly my boy. Now, let's go see if a certain prankster is indeed innocent for a change."

The two headed towards the Shrieking Shack, and with each step, Remus' anxiety seemed to escalate. He was anxious to know what happened that night and was desperately hoping his friend was innocent. Soon enough they came to the Whomping Willow, where Albus immobilized it and they walked down, now alert and on guard at the prospect of a trap. They came to the room Remus knew well- the one he used to transform for years.

"Hello Moony, Headmaster," came a rasping voice, and the two turned and saw a gaunt figure of a man. Remus almost choked at the sight of his long time best friend looking like a walking skeleton.

"Hello again, Mister Black. Please know I do this as a precautionary. Incarcerous!" and ropes sprang from his wand and bound the Animagus. Sirius didn't struggle against the ropes and gazed complacently at the two. "Now, you requested that we come to hear your side of the story, which was so conveniently forgotten all those years ago."

Sirius looked over at Remus, who just nodded as he was having a difficult time making his voice work properly. "I want to thank you for giving me a chance to explain, especially with all the overwhelming evidence against me. But I would never purposely hurt James, nor Lily! They were my family. I was never the Potter's Secret-Keeper." The two stared. "I was convinced that I would be a give away and targeted for the information, so I convinced them to use Wormtail instead, thinking no one would ever suspect him. We made it seem like this so that Voldemort would go after me anyhow, lulling him away from the real Secret-Keeper. Little did any of us know that Wormtail was actually the spy."

"What?!" A strangled cry came from Remus.

"Pettigrew betrayed them, and when I found out what happened, I snapped and went after him. I had no idea he had that trap set up to frame me."

"How did you escape from Azkaban?" Albus pressed.

Sirius looked guilty at this, "I…am an Animagus. It's why I survived so long in that hellhole. When I changed, the Dementors couldn't feed off me as much as they could as a human. I lost so much weight that one night when they brought me my dinner, I slipped right past them."

"Should I assume you did this to help Mister Lupin with his transformations at Hogwarts?"

Once again, the man looked guilty and nodded.

"What prompted you to escape now?"

"I saw a picture of the dirty rat in the Daily Prophet I got from Fudge on his yearly visit. Knowing the traitor was alive, I wanted revenge for what he did to me and my family."

"Why did you contact us now, instead of going after him?"  
"When I got a letter from Lily and James telling me about Harry, I knew my plans needed to change. Harry is more important than my own personal revenge."

"Padfoot….you've grown up…" Remus said hoarsely.

"I most certainly have not!" He huffed, not amused by being called an adult, "I've just learned what's more important."

"Mister Black, would you be willing to submit to Veritaserum?"

He wrinkled his nose in distaste, but nodded in approval. Albus took out the potion and doused the Animagus with it.

"Alright, let's begin." Albus stated after he saw Sirius' expression glaze over. "Were you the Potter's Secret-Keeper?"

"No."

"Did you know that Peter Pettigrew had turned to Voldemort?"

"No."

"Did you have no ill intentions towards the Potters when you asked to switch Secret-Keepers?"

"Yes."

"Did you kill any of those muggles that you were accused of that night?"

"No."

"What were your intentions when you broke out of Azkaban?"

"To get revenge on that demented bastard for what he did."

"What are your intentions now?"  
"To be there for Harry and try to clear my name so that I don't have to be on the run and help take care of him."

Albus nodded in approval and administered the antidote, having heard enough, as well as unbinding him. Remus ran over and grabbed him in a bear hug, racking sobs pouring from his eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Padfoot. I should have known you'd never do something like that. I just never thought that Wormtail would have been capable of that. I wish I could go back and find a way to make this right."

Sirius held on desperately to his old friend, overwhelmed at the knowledge he had someone who believed him. "I could never blame you, Moony. The evidence was all against me if one looked at it. The rat certainly knew how to cover his tracks…"

Albus cleared his throat, "I don't know about you two gentlemen, but I for one would like to be back in time for dinner."

Both Marauders had the decency to look sheepish as Albus reminded them of the time, "Of course, Headmaster. I'm sure that Minerva has about had enough of Rudi chasing her around."

Albus chuckled heartily, "She never was fond of dogs, that's for sure. Mister Black, I believe it would be best if you were to have Glamour charms in place."

"I suppose that makes sense. I'd rather not be confined to one room."

"That does mean you'll need a legitimate reason for being in the room with Harry and I."

Albus' eyes twinkled merrily, "Friends of professors are not permitted to remain during the semester, but significant others are."

Sirius' eyes popped out of his head, trying to comprehend what Albus just said. "But Remus and I aren't together!"

"Yes, but Remus and Celeste Dubh are," Albus explained patiently.

"Wha-a?" Sirius stuttered.

At this point, Remus was laughing uncontrollably. "It means, my dear Padfoot, that you will be posing as my girlfriend."

Sirius did what any sensible male would do at this point, and promptly fainted.

"He took that better than I expected him to," Albus chuckled and waved his wand, performing a complex appearance charm attuned to a copper ring he pulled out of his pocket. "I imagine that Mister Black would be more comfortable looking like himself in the company of you and Harry, so having him put on this ring will give him a new appearance." He slipped the ring onto Sirius' finger and watched as his black hair turned to a soft blond, eyes went from grey to blue, distinct bumps appeared on his chest, and his entire body took on a much more feminine charm.

Remus was still laughing at his friend's predicament, "Well, he looks surprisingly like a woman I imagine he would normally chase."

"That," Albus grinned mischievously, "was the idea."

Remus howled in laughter again and revived his 'new girlfriend.'

"I just had the most bizarre nightmare. You both…." He trailed off, noticing the change in his voice and looked down, only to shriek. "Please tell me this isn't permanent!" he moaned.

"Of course not, Miss Dubh," Albus said pleasantly as he received a death glare. "The charm is tied to that ring on your finger. You just need to be wearing it for the charms to be active. Now, I believe that it is time that we head back to the castle before Minerva ends up in a tree."

The other two agreed and followed along, although, awkwardly in Sirius' case.

* * *

The two friends rescued Harry from Minerva, who was about to hex Harry from Rudi chasing her around, and went back to their quarters. Harry wanted to know who this Celeste Dubh was, but figured Remus would explain shortly. The majestic stag came to the front and let them in, making Sirius long for his Marauder brother.

"Umm, ok, so you went to meet Sirius Black and came back with some woman named Celeste Dubh. And this makes sense how?" Harry asked, thinking his father had clearly lost it.

"Harry, you were right about Sirius being innocent from what he was accused of. However, we do not have sufficient proof for him to be pardoned by the Ministry yet. We decided that for his protection, and ability to remain here once the school year began, that Sirius would temporarily be disguised as my girlfriend."

Harry snickered, "So does that mean I'm supposed to call you Mommy Padfoot?"

Sirius glared and hastily removed the ring, reverting to his skeletal appearance, which made Harry cringe at the sight, "Try that again and we'll see how you like looking like Lily for a week."

Harry blanched, "Sirius is good too!"

"Smart boy, must get that from your real dad," Sirius chuckled. He took in Harry, getting to see him for the first time in twelve years. "I know it's just the potion Lily wrote about, but you look so much like James," his voice thick with emotions. "I wish I could've been there for you growing up- James made me your godfather incase anything happened to him. It's my duty to help protect you…at least, I think it is," he looked questioningly at Remus.

"Of course, you daft mutt! I wouldn't take away your title as his godfather," Remus smiled, although wanted to slap Sirius for his idiotic thought.

"Thank you," his eyes said more than mere words could express.

"Now how about dinner? I would prefer to see you look like a human rather than an animated skeleton," Remus quipped, letting Sirius know he wasn't joking.

"Does he get to be subjected to Madam Dragon?" Harry grinned, hoping for someone else to fill the healer's time.

"Oh, I think that will be a great idea tomorrow, Harry. Thank you for mentioning it," Remus smirked while Sirius went white.

"Not the Dragon!!"

"Oh yes, Madam Dragon. But for now, eat! Both of you!"

Harry and Sirius shared a look before setting into the food that Mindy brought. After eating, Sirius took advantage of a real bathroom and cleaned up for the first time since he could remember, and passed out from utter exhaustion on a bed that virtually came out of nowhere, feeling safe for the first time in ages.

* * *

**_A/N: So yay! Our favorite convict is back in action...*snickers* Although, looking like he does now, he might end up with a different type of action that he normally gets, haha! Anyhow, if you have any thoughts on pairings, speak now or forever hold your piece!!!_**

**_As usual, read and review please!!!!_**


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